


crimson and clover

by joyyjpg



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: (not the main pairing), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 18:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3457730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joyyjpg/pseuds/joyyjpg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulan comes into Granny's diner every Thursday to study. It's the highlight of Ruby's week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	crimson and clover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheOnlySPL](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOnlySPL/gifts).



> TheOnlySPL, I hope you enjoy this! I used your school AU prompt, plus a tiny bit of heartbreak and a background pairing being the catalyst for the main pairing (that background pairing here being a bit of one-sided Mulan/Aurora, which I know was not on your ship list, so I hope you don't hate that part!). I used the title of the Joan Jett song as the title of the fic because I was listening to it and it seemed like an appropriate song for this. :)

It’s 4:30 PM on Thursday and Ruby is definitely _not_ watching the door. She is also not impatiently tapping her pencil against the linoleum countertop and she has not already scribbled down an order for a green tea latte on her pad. She is definitely not neglecting all of her other responsibilities in favor of sitting around and waiting for the gorgeous, kickboxing girl of her dreams to come walking through the door.

Of course, she is doing all of those things.

Mulan has been coming in every Thursday for a couple of months now, ever since the semester started. She gets a booth and a green tea latte (or two, or five, depending the amount of homework) and spends most of the evening with her books, papers, and iPad scattered across the table. Luckily, Ruby works the night shift on Thursdays, which isn’t usually a busy night at the diner, so she doesn’t feel guilty about spending the majority of her shift casually staring at Mulan every chance she gets and checking on her twice as often as she does other customers.

Developing a crush on Mulan was pretty much inevitable. Since she started coming in every week, she and Ruby have become sort-of friends. At least, Ruby likes to think so, but still, she doesn’t know all that much about the girl. She knows she’s a senior Anthropology major at the same university Ruby attends, but seeing as Ruby’s major is Gender and Sexuality Studies (a complete waste of a degree, according to Granny), they’ve never really had the chance to cross paths at school. She also knows that Mulan teaches a kickboxing class at the YWCA every Saturday, which is unbelievably hot. Ruby once entertained the notion of signing up for the class but quickly thought better of it because: a) that would be weird, and b) she has not quite reached the point where she is willing to embarrass and potentially injure herself to get Mulan’s attention.

Mulan is also ridiculously smart, a little reserved at first though she warms up quickly, and probably in love with her roommate. Ruby doesn’t have definite proof of that last bit, but she’s fairly sure that it’s true and uses it as a reminder to herself not to get in too deep. Mulan is great and Ruby is happy just being her friend.

Though it has to be said that she doesn’t perk up like an excited puppy when her _friends_ walk through the door of Granny’s diner.

That is, however, exactly what she does when the bell finally jingles and Mulan, backpack slung over her shoulder and hair flying in the evening breeze. She looks like a goddess, a modern Athena in ripped jeans and combat boots. She stops in the doorway and smiles at Ruby, and _god_ , Ruby tries not to act so obviously like she’s been waiting for her for the last half hour.

Mulan slides into the first empty booth and Ruby practically skips over to her. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” Mulan says, a little too quickly. She seems anxious about something – probably a big exam coming up – but she smiles up at Ruby again as though she’s trying to hide it. “You?”

“Better than ever,” Ruby says. “The usual?”

“Yes. And a white chocolate mocha. I’m meeting my roommate.”

Ruby’s smile never falters, and for that she is truly proud. “Coming right up.”

She puts in their drink orders and reminds herself that she has no reason to feel…whatever it is she’s feeling right now. A twinge of jealously, sure, and maybe a little disappointment, though she has no real right to feel either of those things. She doesn’t know what their relationship really is or why they’re meeting here, and it’s none of her business. Mulan obviously cares about the girl, so if there is something there, Ruby should be happy for her. By the time their drinks are ready, Ruby built up her resolve and is determined to support her friend no matter what. She emerges from the kitchen, drinks in hand, just as a young woman enters the diner and makes her way toward Mulan’s booth.

Crap, she’s _cute_. She looks like a walking advertisement for ModCloth in her lacey pink sundress and white cardigan, her red curls hanging perfectly across her shoulders. Mulan’s face lights up when she sees her and Ruby recognizes that look – it’s the same one she knows she gets every time she sees Mulan. _Crap._

Still, Ruby doesn't let it weaken her resolve. She genuinely wants this to work for Mulan, for both of them. She drops off their drinks with a smile and then heads into the kitchen, resisting the urge to peek out at their booth every few seconds. She doesn’t want to invade their privacy.

She does, however, still want to be a good server, so after several minutes of idly washing glasses and stacking plates, she heads out to check on them. The cute redhead is nowhere to be seen and Mulan seems to have spotted something very interesting at the bottom of her empty glass. Ruby’s heart sinks a little.

“You look like you could use a refill,” she says.

Mulan jerks out of her trance and manages a weak smile. “You don’t happen to have anything stronger, do you?”

“I wish,” Ruby says, hesitating a little before continuing. She doesn’t want to pry, but she does want to make sure Mulan is alright. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Mulan says, without even trying to sound convincing, then shrugs and adds, “no, not really. But I suppose it’ll have to be.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Ruby hopes she isn’t overstepping any boundaries here, but Mulan is sad and Ruby thinks – hopes – they’re close enough to friend territory by now that she can at least try to cheer her up.

Even with that in mind, Mulan’s answer still takes her by surprise. “You can bring me that refill and keep me company. I don’t feel much like doing homework tonight.” In her surprise, Ruby obviously takes too long to answer, because Mulan soon starts to backtrack. “Sorry,” she says. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have a lot of work to do.”

“No,” Ruby says quickly. _Get it together._ “No, it’s fine. We’re not that busy. I’d love to.” Mulan smiles, genuinely, for the first time since her roommate left, and Ruby can’t help the grin that spreads across her own face.

She gets Mulan another latte and then slides to the other side of the booth. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Mulan sips her drink and shrugs. “Not much to talk about it. She said no.”

So, Ruby’s instincts here were right, and Mulan does have feelings for her roommate – feelings that said roommate, for whatever unfathomable reason, apparently doesn’t share. Ruby’s been there and she knows that it sucks. “Her loss,” she says.

Mulan blushes a little, which is wholly unexpected, because she doesn’t seem like the kind of girl who blushes easily or at all. Ruby feels a rush of excitement, but doesn’t let it go to her head. It would be wrong of her to take advantage of her friend’s post-rejection state. Mulan doesn’t say anything, though, so Ruby takes the opportunity to change the subject. She asks about her classes and they eventually settle into easy conversation about everything under the sun and nothing in particular, laughing and completely losing track of time.

The next thing Ruby knows, the sun has gone down. Thankfully, Granny isn’t here to scold her for goofing off on the clock, but it is getting close to the end of her shift and she still has things to do before she heads home.

“I should let you get back to work,” Mulan says, also taking note of how late it is. “And I should go. I have an early class tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Ruby says. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Mulan gets to her feet, slings her unopened backpack on her shoulder. “Thank you, Ruby. For keeping me company tonight.”

Ruby smiles. “Don’t mention it. I enjoyed it.”

“So did I.” Mulan turns to leave, but she hesitates, turns back to Ruby with a small smile than the faintest hint of pink creeping back into her cheeks. Ruby can’t help but wonder what it would take to make her blush on a regular basis.

“We should do it again sometime,” Mulan says. “When you’re off the clock.” 

Ruby feels like she could float right out of this booth, out of Granny’s diner and off to some other plane of existence, but somehow, she manages to keep her feet firmly grounded. She can’t stop herself from grinning, and her smile only widens when Mulan returns it. “I’d love to.”

Ruby leaves the diner after her shift feeling like a giddy teenager. The napkin in her jeans pocket, the one with Mulan’s number written on it, feels like it weighs a ton and she keeps reaching into her pocket and rubbing her fingers over bumpy texture. She’s sorry that it took a rejection to make it happen, but she’s definitely willing to help Mulan move on, if she’ll let her.

She places the napkin on her nightstand and goes to bed, happy knowing that this time she won’t have to wait until next Thursday to see Mulan again.


End file.
